Maki Zenin skyrocketed in popularity after Jujutsu Kaisen's first season. Many fans fell in love with her brash and belligerent nature, her overwhelming physical strength, and her conviction to one day return to lead the Zenin clan that previously rejected her. Her character design was simple but memorable, which made the change in appearance to her current scarred state in the manga jarring for many fans. Here's how Maki earned the battle scars that have come to define her appearance.
Ever since Mai Zenin's death and the completion of Maki's heavenly restriction, the sorcerer's mildly muscular frame evolved to reflect the superhuman strength that came with breaking away from cursed energy completely. And yet, compared to the striped scars running up both the sides of her arms and face, Maki's physical transformation would be considered negligible. Her new look does reflect the inner strength that Maki has always possessed and was fittingly earned in the middle of a fierce battle.
Maki's Burn Scars Were Caused By Jogo
Maki sustained her iconic scars as a result of her involvement in the Shibuya Incident. Shortly after the team consisting of her, Nanami, Naobito Zenin, Megumi, and Toji Fushiguro defeated the Special Grade Cursed Spirit Dagon, they were ambushed by Jogo, yet another Special Grade curse. Jogo wasted no time in bathing the exhausted sorcerers in flames as retribution for his compatriot's exorcism. Since she had no cursed energy, Maki had no way to counteract the effect of the cursed spirit's flames and sustained nasty burn injuries from that encounter.
According to Yuki Tsukumo, the only reason Maki survived the attempted immolation by Jogo was because of her body's superhuman properties, even before the completion of her heavenly restriction. The Special Grade sorcerer hinted that Maki had received treatment with Reverse Cursed Technique—which increased her chances of survival—but that even the healing jujutsu art would have no chance at erasing the burn scars she'd sustained. Overall, considering the severity of her injuries, Maki looks to be in pretty good shape, with her scars even serving as a visual indicator of her being a capable and battle-hardened sorcerer.
Maki's Character Design Is Defying Established Jujutsu Norms
Even before her heavenly restriction was completed, Maki had always been one of Jujutsu Kaisen's most revolutionary characters. Merely existing as a woman sorcerer in the Zenin clan was considered radical, and she had no cursed energy to boot. Even so, her initial goal was to one day lead the Zenin clan but once she realized reforming it for her sister was pointless, Maki settled for destroying it completely in Mai's honor. After defeating the entire clan single-handedly, Maki no longer had anything to prove to the institution that had rejected her before.
According to Nishimiya Momo, jujutsu society had historically valued women sorcerers only for their looks, with their combat ability being an afterthought if it was regarded at all. While scars were battle trophies for men, they were regarded as imperfections for women. This notion has never been truly applicable to Maki and even less so now that she has those scars that should be "imperfections." Her full heavenly restriction has allowed Maki to gain strength comparable to that of Special Grade sorcerers and some unique abilities that are simply unattainable for traditional sorcerers. Both literally and figuratively, Maki has become a jujutsu anomaly by thriving as a woman sorcerer without access to cursed energy, but with a body that defies even the most absolute of jujutsu principles.